South Texas is one of the few locations where Zika virus has been locally transmitted in the U.S. It has a climate which is distinct to other areas with autochthonous transmission, with extremely hot, dry summers and moderate winter temperatures. Studying mosquito transmission of Zika in a range of temperatures conditions replicating where virus transmission is occurring is essential in order to have a better understanding of transmission patterns. These factors were examined by infecting mosquitoes and monitoring the dissemination status through real-time PCR analysis.
To further characterize dissemination of Zika virus within south Texas mosquitoes a time series immunohistochemical analysis was conducted. In this proof of concept experiment infected mosquitoes were fixed days post infection and processed for antibody staining before being imaged with a confocal microscope. More reliable experimental methodology will result in more accurate assessment of transmission risk and prediction of transmission of Zika virus transmission
